Numerical simulation and optimization of an industrial fluid catalytic cracking regenerator. (5th February 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tang, Guangwu; Silaen, Armin K.; Wu, Bin; Fu, Dong; Agnello-Dean, Dwight; Wilson, Joseph; Meng, Qingjun; Khanna, Samir; Zhou, Chenn Q.
• Is Part Of: Applied thermal engineering. Volume 112(2017:Feb.)
• Page Start: 750
• Page End: 760
• Publication Date: 2017-02-05
• Subjects: Regenerator -- CFD -- Eulerian -- Kinetic theory -- Drag model -- Hydrodynamics -- Combustion; Heat engineering -- Periodicals; Heating -- Equipment and supplies -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 621.40205
• DOI: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2016.10.060
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-4311

Abstract

Highlights: A CFD model has been developed for a commercial FCC regenerator. Fluidized bed with combustion has been simulated. The model has been validated with plant data. 5% oxygen enrichment for operation has been proposed. Abstract: Fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) is one of the most important conversion processes in petroleum refineries. FCC regenerator is a key part of an FCC unit to recover the solid catalyst reactivity by burning off the deposited coke on the catalyst. In this paper, a three-dimensional multi-phase, multi-species reacting flow computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was established to simulate the flow and the reactions inside an FCC regenerator. The Euler-Euler approach, where the two phases (gas and solid) are considered to be continuous and fully inter-penetrating, is employed. A modified drag force model was applied on the CFD model with appropriate influential cluster diameters of particle grouping phenomenon. The developed CFD model was validated by using plant data. With the validated CFD model, the flow characteristics and the inner-phase and inter-phase reactions were studied. The results showed that the effect of oxygen enrichment on the catalysts recovery efficiency was limited when the oxygen enrichment exceeded 5%.